james



(No Model) Patented No v. 5,1895.

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I Witt-10:909. smve'wtof"i A DR B.GRAHAM.PHDTD-LITHD.WASHIN H15 flrtomew UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR H. JAMES, or KANSAS o1rY,'M1Ss oUR1, ASSIGNOR OF'ONE-HALF TO MARSHALL H. men, or SAME PLACE.

OFFICE-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,131 dated November 5, 1895. Application filed March 25, 1895. Serial No. 543,010. (No model.)

office-indicators.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap and convenient indicator to be placed upon the door or other convenient place during absence and designating the time of return, and providing means for securely sealing and filing notes or messages that may be left by callers.

My invention consists in providing a plate made preferably of cardboard, upon which is mounted a dial having inscribed thereon characters representing the hours of the day, and two hands. movable upon the board and adapted to be moved so as to point to the said characters. Upon the plate is also secured a tablet-holder adapted to receive and hold a writing-tablet.

My invention further provides a filing device adapted to receive the messages, the details of construction of which are hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrative of my invention, A indicates the plate, made, preferably, of cardboard, and provided at each upper corner with an eyelet B, adapted to receive the supporting nails or tacks driven in the door or other place in which the indicator is to be used.

0 indicates the holder for the card, on which is inscribed the name of the party owning the indicator. This holder is substantiallyrectangular in shape and is made, preferably, of a plate of metal vertically disposed, the upper and lower edges of which are folded to the front, as indicated byD, the card bearing the name being held between the bent edges and the plate 0. Each end of the plate 0 is provided with one or more projections E, which is first bent rearwardly, passing through a slit in the cardboard, and is then bent against the back of the cardboard, as shown by the dotted lines, thus securing the name-plate to the board.

A clock-dial II is placed upon the board A in any desirable manner. lVithin the dial and centrally located therein and pivoted at F to the board A are two hands representing the minute and hour hands, and indicated by G. The dial is placed, preferably, at the right upper corner of the board. Below the dial and secured to the board is a strip J, preferably metallic, the ends of which are secured by means of a rivet K or otherwise to the board A. The strip is horizontally disposed on the board and its portion between the rivets K is slightly raised from the board, so as to permit the insertion thereunder of the backboard L of a writing-tablet I. The tablet I is of the ordinary form, the lower front portion U being provided with a mucilaginous coating. To the left of the tablet I and below the name-plate C is located the filing device, which consists of a sharpened pin or hook P, perpendicularly secured to the board, a wire clamp M, a pencil-holder R, secured to the board to the left of the pin P, and the pencil T, secured to the board by means of a cord S. The clamp M is made, preferably, of a single piece of wire formed into two loops, the one Q at the left end being adapted to encircle the holderR and the one at the right end adapted to encircle the pin P. The two ends ofthe wire at N are coiled, so as to form a spring, the extreme end of each end being passed through the board A and then bent against and parallel to the board, thus securing the clamp to the board.

The springs may be coiled in such a way as to cause the clamp to either have a tendency to lie against the board or be normally forced away therefrom. The cord S may have the end that is attached to the board secured to one of the coils N.

My invention is operated as follows: The board having been placed where it is tobe used and the hands set to the proper position, an ordinary tablet is placed in the tabletholder J by slipping the backing of the tablet between the strip J and the board A. Any one writing on the tablet can seal the message by moistening the gummed surface U and bringing the gummed end against the upper end of the written slip. The slip is then detached from the tablet and placed on the pin P, the clamp M having been drawn out for that purpose. After the written slip is placed on the pin, the clamp M is released and returns against the board, holding the written slip tightly against the board. The pencil is then placed in the holder R in front of the loop Q and prevents the opening of the clamp until the pencil is withdrawn. The board A is provided with suitable inscriptions giving directions as to operating the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an indicator of the kind described, the combination with a base plate, of a filin g pin secured to the base plate, a clamp encircling the pin and having a hinged connection with the base plate, a pencil connected to the base plate, a pencil holder secured to the base plate, and means for locking the clamp in position against the base plate when the pencil is inserted in the holder, substantially as described.

2. In an indicator of the kind described, the combination with a base plate, of a filing pin secured to the base plate, a clamp hinged at one end to the base plate and encircling the filing pin, a pencil. holder secured to the base plate contiguous to the free end of the clamp, and means for locking the clamp in a closed position when a pencil is inserted in the pencil holder, substantially as described.

3. In an indicator of the kind described, the combination with a base plate, of a filing pin secured to the base plate, a wire clamp consisting of a single piece of wire formed into two loops, one of which encircles the filing pin and the ends of which are coiled and are secured to the base plate, a pencil holder secured to the base plate and encircled by the other loop, a pencil connected to the base plate and adapted to hold the clamp in a closed position when the pencil is inserted in the holder, substantially as described.

l. I11 an indicator of the kind described, the combination with a base plate, of a tablet secured to the base plate, the said tablet consisting of several sheets of paper, a pin secured to the base plate and adapted to receive the sheets detached from the tablet, a clamp having a hinged connection with a base plate and adapted to swing into a position on the base plate contiguous to the said pin and means for locking the clamp in a closed position, substantially as described.

5. In an indicator of the kind described, the combination with the base plate, A, of the clamp, M, having the coiled ends, N, sccured to the base plate, the pin, P, secured to the plate, A, the pencil holder, R, secured to the plate, A, the pencil, T, the cord, S, connecting the pencil with the plate, A, and the loop, Q, encircling the holder, R, substantially as described.

6. As an article of manufacture, the here-- in described indicator consisting of the base plate, a clock dial and hands secured thereon the tablet holder secured to the base plate, the filing piri secured to the base plate, the spring clamp hinged to the base plate, the pencil holder secured to the base plate' and encircled by the wire clamp, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR H. JAMES.

\Vitnesses:

IV. 1). HOUSE, J. F. HADLEY. 

